


The Exquisite Pain

by paintbug



Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Angst, Bisexual Jack Kelly, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Forbidden Love, Hurt/Comfort, Jack Kelly Being an Idiot, Let Crutchie Say Fuck, Spies & Secret Agents
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2020-01-13 09:50:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18466507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paintbug/pseuds/paintbug
Summary: Jack never wanted a lot. He worked hard day and night and was happy with what he had.That was until he saw the one thing he couldn't have.-The Newsies Spy AU no one asked for.





	The Exquisite Pain

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya!   
> This idea came to me a little while ago and I wasn't too sure what to do with it, so I made it into a fic.  
> I will try to upload a new chapter as often as possible but I do have some really important exams starting soon. However, once those are done I have a really long summer holiday so I will be free to upload!  
> I hope you enjoy!

Tap

Tap

Tap

That was all Jack could hear as he tried desperately to focus on the report he was writing.

Tap 

Tap

Crackle

The static in his ear piece was just as bad.

Tap 

Crackle

Tap Tap Tap Tap TapTapTapTapTapTap

“Cut it out!” 

“Agent Kelly, enough!”

Jack slowly sunk down in his chair, his back fitting perfectly into the indented foam on the backrest of the seat. He could feel every lump and indent the chair held, every little mark his continuous use had left. He could fill the way the chair swung in a steady rhythm, identical to the one his foot was tapping out as his leg bounced rapidly beneath his desk. 

Left 

Right

Left

Right

He could feel the way his sock was sliding down his ankle with every jolt and bounce he inflicted upon the limb. His ankle was catching on the wheel of his chair, and he could feel the static of the hair on his leg standing up against it. 

It was far too cold in the room.

No, it was freezing. 

Jack had no idea if it was just the air conditioning or if it was the weather sending chills down his back. He hadn’t been outside recently enough to check.

He’d been in here for far too long, with the tapping and the crackling and the bouncing.

Not to forget the smell. The room reeked of coffee, stale and fresh. He himself had three cups littering his desk, two finished and one half full sat dangerously near the edge, as if waiting to be knocked off onto the dark blue carpet tiles.

Jack’s eyes wandered from the carpet back up to his laptop, wincing as they met the bright gleam of the screen and his unfinished report. With a reluctant sigh he reached out to grip the edge of the desk and pull himself closer to the device and his unwanted workload. A quick glance at the small twenty-four-hour clock in the bottom right hand corner told him it was nearing 5am. Maybe if he got this finished he could head home for breakfast before his next shift started at 10.

Jack sat up a little straighter, wiggling his hips from side to side in a meagre attempt at relieving some of the pressure left there from sitting for hours on end. He rolled his shoulders backwards before letting his hands fall upon the keyboard. He could finish this. He had to. He needed to get out. Even if just for a few hours. 

By 8.30 Jack was finished, he forwarded the report to his head of department and with a grimace stood up. He relished in the way his back burned at the motion, leaning backwards as he stretched out his spine. Ignoring the coffee cups and empty packets of gummy bears scattered across his work space he picked up his hoodie and slid it on. The extra layer did nothing the fend off the cold but just the idea of it put Jack a little more at ease. 

Picking up his bag, Jack shot the guy at the desk opposite him a teasing yet mocking look. 

“Is Racer still working?” He teased, slinging the strap of his bag over his head to rest securely on his shoulder, the weight relaxing Jack and pulling him a little further to ground.

Race, the worker opposite, shot Jack a tired look and rolled his eyes. “Shut up, Kelly.” He sneered, rubbing his eye with the back of a fisted hand.

Jack’s face softened slightly, seeing the man he knew as a brother look so exhausted. 

“Hey,” he started, moving to perch on the edge of Race’s desk. “How about I bring you back a bacon sandwich or something?” He offered.

This had Race visibly perking up. “Oh man, could you?” He asked hopefully, leaning forward to rest his elbow on his desk and gently press his chin into his palm to hold his head up, almost as if it wouldn’t stay up on its own and he would simply drop off to sleep the second he moved. “With one of those sausages we bought?” 

Jack couldn’t help but laugh, a thoughtful look on his face. “I guess I can do that,” He smiled, shifting his weight back onto the leg closest to the ground so that he could stand up again.

Race grinned sluggishly, blinking up at Jack. “Just don’t burn the kitchen down, okay?” he teased, though there was a small part of him that was serious. “We don’t need a repeat of that time   
you fell asleep at the stove.”

Jack nodded, ducking his head slightly. “it was one time!” He mumbled, shrugging his bag again to adjust the weight and make himself feel a little more awake. Just in case.

Race just laughed, shrugging. “Still happened!”

Jack silenced him by reaching out to ruffle his hair. “Right, I’m off.” He sighed, full of relief that he was finally allowed to say those words. “See you at 10.”  
With that he turned on his heel, barely hearing Race’s muttered, “See ya” as he strode out.

He walked straight past the coffee machine, confident to buy something a little nicer on the way home. 

However, it was only once he’d clocked out and walked past the buildings reception he instantly regret that idea. 

Jack stood behind the glass revolving door, watching as a disarray of snowflakes swirled and danced as they drifted down to earth. With an exasperated grunt, Jack glanced between the door, which was swaying slightly with the freezing wind, and his worn grey hoodie. 

He hesitated, adjusting his bag on his shoulder again. He could stay here, but he would have to sit at reception until near 10 as he couldn’t clock back into the building until just before his next shift.

Or he could brave it and go home, to his flat, where he had food and heating and good coffee. 

One last glance at the door and Jack made up his mind. Gritting his teeth and ducking his head, he stepped into the revolving door and prepared to brace the snow.

It was so much colder than he expected, the wind stung his face, biting at his nose, cheeks and the tips of his ears. All Jack could do was hold his breath and pull his hood up to try preventing the snow from soaking his hair and slipping down the back of his neck into his work shirt. 

With a sharp exhale through his nose he set off, his feet sliding beneath him as the paths became icy. He should have worn better shoes but his boots where back beneath his desk and he hadn’t thought to pick them up. Instead he simply had to face the storm in his canvas high top trainers. He could already feel his socks starting to soak through his shoes when he turned the corner to meet his once chance at survival.

His favourite coffee shop.

The light emitting from the store’s windows had him instantly picking up speed and hurrying for the door. 

Once inside Jack felt himself truly relax. The warmth bounced across his shoulders and down his spine, battling with the shivers for dominance. His eyes fell shut ever so briefly and an inaudible sigh of relief slipped past his lips.

“Jack, you’re soaked!” 

Jack straightened up again, a smile tugging at his lips as his heavy eyes fluttered open. He could tell that voice from a mile away. 

It belonged to none other than Katherine Pulitzer, his girlfriend. 

“I know,” Jack laughed, heading towards where Katherine stood behind the stores only till. “You not seen the snow?” He asked, leaning over to try press a playful kiss to her cheek, causing her to shriek and pull away as his damp hair brushed across her face. 

Katherine didn’t answer him, just laughing and pushing him away by the shoulder. “Here,” she said, tossing him a towel from beneath the counter. 

“Don’t let my Dad see you with it,” She warned, a knowing look in her eye. 

Jack nodded, running the towel over his head to try get the water out. He was grateful that the shop was empty so far, clearly no one else wanted to brave the treacherous conditions for a simple cup of coffee. 

“Can I get the usual, Kath?” Jack asked, peaking up from beneath the towel.

A loving nod was all he needed to confirm that she knew exactly what he was looking for and exactly how he wanted it.

Jack finished drying his hair, listening to Katherine’s delicate humming as she set about making his usual order. One strong black coffee with two sugars and a chocolate muffin.

“That’ll be four eighty-nine,” Kath said, tapping out the order on the till.

Jack’s head shot up, eyes wide. “Four eighty-nine?!” 

Katherine just nodded, chewing at her lip as she brushed a stray hair out of her face and tucked it neatly behind her ear. “Dad put the prices up again,” she mumbled as Jack reluctantly counted out his change and slid it across the counter to his girlfriend. 

“Still cheaper than those mainstream coffee shops,” Jack shrugged, taking his coffee and sipping at it.

Katherine nodded again, smiling softly across at Jack as she watched the worn-out man in front of her enjoy his moment with the cup of piping hot caffeine. 

Jack looked up after a moment, eyeing the window warily. “I should probably go… I promised Racer one of my bacon sandwiches,” he murmured, lifting the flap on his bag to hide his muffin from the poor weather.

Kath hummed in acknowledgement, following Jack’s gaze to the window. “Get home safe okay?” She asked softly, moving from behind the counter to run a hand through his still damp hair. 

Jack let himself lean into the touch for one last moment in the calm before he had to wander quite literally into the storm.

“I’ll call you when I get off work,” Jack whispered. He pulled away, tipping his chin up so that Katherines hand slid down to cup his cheek and he could kiss her lightly on the lips. 

With a hushed goodbye he broke away, turning to head to the door, his wet shoes squeaking on the tiled floors.

Cradling his coffee in both hands and holding it close to his chest as if the warmth could radiate from the cup into his being, Jack made his way back down the icy paths, squinting as the snow clouded his vision and made it almost impossible to see further than two metres before his own nose.

By now the snow had thickened, coating the roads. No cars where seen skidding down the streets, no children running past with a sledge to try speed down the hills in the local park. Jack found himself alone, just him, his coffee and the snow. All he could see, no matter which way he turned was white sheets of ice, covering everything and anything. The snow kept getting in his eyes, sticking to his glasses. He didn’t wipe it though, he much preferred to keep his cold frozen hands planted firmly on his heated paper cup in a desperate attempt to try and regain warmth.

However, because of the snow blocking his vision, Jack didn’t notice he was sharing the pathway with someone else. 

That was until something collided with his side, sending his numb arm jolting away from his body and his coffee flying, just as Jack’s foot met a big patch of ice. 

Before Jack could even consider catching himself on anything near by he met the floor with a sickening slap, his head bouncing off the concrete. 

He let himself lie there for a moment before he slowly pushed himself up, pain radiating through his head and right shoulder. “What the hell…” he murmured, more to himself than anything else. 

Remembering he had collided with something, Jack squinted up through his now lopsided glasses to see if he could see anything. There was something there, but he couldn’t quite figure out what it was, sitting himself up against a nearby parked car he adjusted his glasses and looked again, this time making out the outline of a person. 

“What the hell!” 

Jack frowned as the sudden voice pierced through the ringing in his ears.

“You pushed me over!” Jack argued, using the side of the car to push himself up before moving his good arm to cradle his right elbow. “That was a perfectly good coffee!”

Jack stepped closer on unsteady legs to get a better look at the figure. They were a lot shorter than Jack, coming up just past his shoulder. Maybe it was a teenager?

Taking another step, he noticed the figure was leaning against a crutch of some sort. 

One quick glance up confirmed it was a in fact guy, about the same age as Jack. 

Oh, and he didn’t look happy.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!   
> I hope you enjoyed it!  
> Comments and Kudos are greatly appreciated! :)


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